The Latest: Trump said to support House immigration plan

FILE - In this June 7, 2018, photo, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., takes questions from reporters following a closed-door GOP meeting on immigration without reaching an agreement between conservatives and moderates, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Divided House Republicans left a bargaining session Tuesday, June 12, saying they'd not reached an immigration compromise. It remained unclear whether restive moderates would follow through on their threat to force votes soon on the troublesome issue, and questions even arose about whether they still had enough support to do that. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Speaker Paul Ryan told House Republicans that President Donald Trump "seemed very supportive" of their effort to craft compromise legislation to help protect young immigrants.

That's according to Republican Rep. Chris Collins of New York, a Trump ally, who said Ryan told lawmakers behind closed doors Wednesday that he had spoken to Trump about the immigration bill a day earlier.

According to Collins, Ryan said he spoke with the president "about where we're headed and the president seemed very supportive."

Legislation to protect immigrants known as Dreamers is coming up for a vote as soon as next week.

Collins said Ryan relayed that the president was also supportive of the strategy of voting on two separate immigration bills. A more conservative measure is unlikely to pass.

Ryan's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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10:35 a.m.

House Speaker Paul Ryan says compromise legislation that's in the works on immigration has an "actual chance at making law and solving this problem."

The Wisconsin Republican gave an upbeat assessment to reporters after brokering a deal between party factions on a process to consider rival GOP immigration plans to protect young "Dreamer" immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children.

A plan back by tea party conservatives is expected to fail but Ryan said a compromise version favored by moderates that is still being drafted "has a chance of going into law" because the Trump administration is part of the negotiations.

But Republicans have been unable to forge an agreement so far and it's by no means a sure thing that the latest plan will work.

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1:05 a.m.

House Republicans are considering next steps on two immigration bills after GOP leaders persuaded moderate Republicans to drop their renegade effort to force votes on legislation that would have protected young "Dreamer" immigrants with a path to citizenship.

Instead, leaders reached a deal with moderates and conservatives that will allow two votes on other bills, starting as soon as next week.

Moderates have been promised a vote on a compromise immigration plan that will likely include a citizenship pathway for the young immigrants who have been living in the country illegally since they were children.

Conservatives have been guaranteed a vote on their favored approach, which provides a path to legal status but not citizenship.